1. Technical Field
The invention relates to on-line publication of software. More particularly, the invention relates to an automated entitlement management method and apparatus for capturing maintenance renewals revenues.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital delivery has emerged as an efficient and profitable method of distributing digital goods such as software. While some suppliers of digital goods offer simple downloads from their web sites, these services provide only limited value to the supplier and the supplier's customers. There is a growing demand from end-users for increased services and from suppliers for better management and control of the complete delivery process. Increasingly, digital goods involve frequent updates, bug fixes, patches, and release notifications, resulting in exceedingly complex product relationships. Modeling/representing and managing these complex relationships poses a formidable challenge to digital goods suppliers.
K. Milsted, C. Kindell, Q. Qong, Automated method and apparatus to package digital content for electronic distribution using the identity of the source content, U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,256 (Feb. 5, 2002) describe a system and related tools for secure delivery and rights management of digital assets. While Milsted, et al. appear to recognize the complex product relationships associated with digital goods, they propose no solutions for modeling and managing the relationships, focusing instead on secure delivery and rights management.
W. Foster, C. Tselebis, Method, apparatus and system for merchandising related applications, U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,678 (Dec. 10, 2002) describe a system and method for organizing product line data, including product hierarchies and time horizons, for use across a variety of distribution channels. While the Foster teachings recognize the importance of managing product data, the solution they provide is essentially a streamlined method of producing a static, non-interactive product line document. The system lacks the capability of interactively distributing actual product to the customer or end-user according to associated entitlements or orders.
J. Ogilvie, Automatic broker tools and techniques, U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,134 (Apr. 15, 2003) describes methods and systems for facilitating electronic commerce in digital goods, such as digitized musical works, software or electronic documents. While the Ogilvie teachings are related to distribution of digital goods, they concern themselves primarily with successful completion of transactions for the sale of digital goods in which buyer and seller are satisfied with the end result. Complex product relationships or the importance of modeling and managing them are not recognized.
R. Reisman, Method and system for distributing updates by presenting directory of software available for user installation that is not already installed on user station, U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,054 (Apr. 29, 2003) provides a method and corresponding system for distributing updates for a plurality of different products to a plurality of uncoordinated user stations via a non-proprietary network. The central element of the described system consists of a software object, essentially a file transfer application, residing on each user station that establishes communication with a server to download updates of information products installed on the user station. A user interface is provided so that the user may view a directory of items available on the server and select from among the items available. Alternatively, examination of the directory and download may be automated. While Reisman provides a system that simplifies the process of locating and downloading digital goods, even recognizing the complex product relationships involved in distribution of digital goods, little attention is paid to methods for managing and modeling the relationships, or management of entitlements to the goods themselves.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for a method and system of managing digital goods that would allow vendors to model and manage the complex product relationships typically involved with distribution of digital goods, particularly as related to electronic distribution of digital goods. For example, today software publishers and other sellers of subscription programs typically use a combination of automated and manual solutions to address the problem of capturing software maintenance renewal revenue. The information about the customer, the subscription programs they have purchased, and the effective dates of such programs are stored in corporate systems, such as implemented by enterprise resource planning software (ERP), as offered by such companies as SAP, Peoplesoft, Oracle, and Softrax, or customer relations management software (CRM), as offered by such companies as Salesforce.com, Siebel, and Remedy. Communications to customers regarding upcoming renewal of their subscription program are conducted manually. Manual steps typically include the following:                Extraction of relevant subscription data from the ERP and CRM systems.        Manual manipulation of data to obtain renewals information.        Running reports to identify customers who have subscription renewals coming due in the near future.        Manual creation of emails or hard copy communications to customers.        Manual creation of follow-up emails or hard copy communications.        Transactions completed by sales representative.        
In addition, the only customer contact information that is typically available is that of the original purchaser of the subscription, and not that of other relevant contacts who might be more significantly impact in the event that the subscription is not renewed.
For software publishers that use a service, such as Intraware's current SubscribeNet service, the information about the customer, the subscription programs they have purchased, and the effective dates of such programs is recorded using an entitlement management module. This information includes contact information for the original purchaser of the subscription program, along with other contacts that have been added since the original purchase. Additional contacts typically include the end users of the subscription program, and are added either by the software publisher or by an administrative user from the customer. All contacts associated with a single purchasing customer are associated with a single customer record, or account. These multiple contacts, particularly those that are the end users of the subscription program represent the ideal target prospect for a subscription renewal sale.
The customer and subscription program information retained in the entitlement management module is used in an automated way by software publishers that use such system to communicate to their customer base automatically about the availability of products that are accessible only to those customers that have valid subscriptions and/or maintenance programs. However, information regarding upcoming renewals must be obtained manually or semi-manually from a separate, reporter module; and communications to customer contacts regarding upcoming renewal of their subscription program are conducted manually.
The state of the art use of multiple systems and a combination of automated and manual processes has the following challenges and disadvantages:                Introduction of errors. As data are passed from one system to another, or between systematized and manual processes, the likelihood of the inadvertent introduction of an error increases. Errors may result in communication of inaccurate renewals information to customers and may ultimately result in lost revenues and increased costs.        Unnecessary cost overheads. The use of manual processes inevitably introduces unnecessary costs because human resources are used to retrieve subscription renewals information and to communicate with customers.        Poor customer experience or perception. In today's consumer-focused, electronic-oriented world, customers have high expectations around the accuracy and timeliness of communications from their vendors. Communications that rely on manual processes and human interactions may not demonstrate to the customer that the software publisher has optimized processes, leading to concerns about product quality and commitment.        